Twostepcublog

Hey guys, sorry for being a little late, but had to recoup after the holidays and the year-end countdown, but I'm back before the year ends with my top 100 tunes from the previous week. Marshmello and Bastille hold on to the top spot, while country hunk Mitchell Tenpenny (pictured above) pours himself a drink in the top five. Former big hits from Old Dominion, Lenny Kravitz, Kane Brown, and Luke Combs drop off my list, while songs from Ariana Grande, Jason Aldean, and Dierks Bentley/Brothers Osborne make some of the biggest jumps (moves of 10+ places highlighted in red ). Happy New Year, and may 2019 bring better things... Just a reminder: to check out my year-end recap of the biggest hits on this chart for 2018, you can go through my ten-part series by clicking here .... This Week        Song/Artist (last week's position in parentheses) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1. Happier ...

It's finally come down to the last installment of my yearly recap countdown of the 100 biggest "hits" on my personal weekly music chart for 2018. You can catch up by clicking on Part One (which also has the "rules" for what was eligible on my chart), Part Two, Part Three, Part Four, Part Five, Part Six, Part Seven, Part Eight, Part Nine, my also-rans list, and the whole series. Thanks to everyone to keeps up with me day by day, I'm going to try to add more features in the new year. But for now, let's get rolling... #10 - "I Like Me Better" by Lauv           from the album I Met You When I Was 18 (2018)           Highest rank" #1 (two weeks)           Weeks on the chart (in 2018): 27 (still charting)           Billboard Hot 100 peak: #27           Song...

" Manhattan Love Song " was a track on the album L.A. Bound by Bahamian-born session musician King Errisson. Released in 1977, the entire album charted as a unit and climbed to #9 on Billboard magazine's Disco/Dance tracks chart.

We're climbing higher and higher up my countdown of the biggest hits on my weekly personal music chart for 2018, and as we head into the top 20, you can catch up by clicking on Part One , Part Two , Part Three , Part Four , Part Five , Part Six , Part Seven , Part Eight , my list of also-rans , and the whole serie s ... #20 - " Sober Up " by AJR featuring Rivers Cuomo           from the album The Click (2017)           Highest rank: #18 (two weeks)           Weeks on the chart: 33           Billboard Hot 100 peak: did not chart, "bubbled under the Hot 100" at #107           Songwriters: Adam Met (AJR), Jack Met (AJR), Ryan Met (AJR), Rivers Cuomo (Weezer) The state of pop music in 2018 was so abysmal that any inflection of angst in a male group...

" The Mexican " was a remake of an early 1970s proto-disco hit by the band Babe Ruth which was released by the Canadian disco act Bombers. Appearing on their 1978 debut album Bombers , this version never made the American pop or dance chart (they would go on to have success with " Everybody Get Dancin " which climbed to #3), but another cover from DJ Jellybean Benitez would end up going to #1 on the dance chart in 1984.

I hope those who celebrated had a great Christmas. I'm ready to pick up where I left off, with the eighth installment of my countdown of the best and biggest hits of 2018 on my weekly personal music chart. You can catch up by clicking on part one , part two , part three , part four , part five , part six , part seven , my also-ran's and the whole series ... #30 - " Thunder " by Imagine Dragons           from the album Evolve (2017)           Highest rank (in 2018): #4 (one week) (peaked at #2 for two weeks in 2017)           Weeks on the chart (in 2018): 21 (was on for 23 weeks in 2017)           Billboard Hot 100 peak: #4           Songwriters: Dan Reynolds (Imagine Dragons),Wayne Sermon (Imagine Dragons), Ben McKee (Imagine Dragons), Daniel Platzman (...

I'm taking a short break for the holidays, but every year instead of cards I give out CD Mixes (yeah, primitive, I know). Here's mine for this year in YouTube videos (sorry, Katy Perry shorted us out on hers). You can check it out by clicking here or you can listen to most of it on Spotify (sadly, had to subsitute three songs including Katy Perry) by clicking here ...

Christmas Jollies and Christmas Jollies II were the two holiday albums released by the studio orchestra for legendary disco label Salsoul Records. The first volume went to #38 on Billboard magazine's R&B Albums chart in 1976, while the second hit #170 on the main albums list in 1981. I distinctly remember this from my middle school science teacher (whom I had a schoolboy crush on) who would play this on Christmas.

I'm about to enter the top 40 of my annual countdown of the biggest hit on my weekly music charts for 2018. You can catch up by clicking on Part One , Part Two , Part Three , Part Four , Part Five , Part Six , my Part 6 & 1/2 Also rans , and the whole series ... #40 - " Beyond " by Leon Bridges           from the album Good Thing (2018)           Highest rank: #7 (two weeks)          Weeks on the chart: 21           Billboard Hot 100 peak: did not chart          Songwriters: Leon Bridges, Nate Mercereau, Ricky Reed, Justin Tranter, Austin Jenkins, Joshua Block  Smooth blues-rock artist Leon Bridges, who landed at #59 on my year-end recap for 2016, returns with this gentle love song that was successful on the pop, rock, and soul charts. (Click below to see the rest of the post)

" Shame " was the breakthrough single from secretary turned disco star Evelyn "Champagne" King . Appearing on her first album Smooth Talk , the song climbed to #8 on Billboard magazine's Disco/Dance Tracks chart in the beginning of 1978, spending seven months on the list. The single also went to #9 on the pop chart and #7 on the R&B tally as well.

As I am counting down the biggest hits of year from my personal chart in these last weeks of the year, let me take a detour to run down the top 100 from this past week (the first "chart week" of 2019). Marshmello & Bastille finally make it to the top spot, while Jimmie Allen (pictured above) shoots his way into the top five. Songs from Nathaniel Rateliff, Death Cab For Cutie, and Ella Mai make some of the biggest jumps (moves of 10+ places highlighted in red ), while former big hits from Cher, Post Malone, Selena Gomez, and Sabrina Carpenter fall off my chart . Happy Holidays, everyone! This Week           Song/Artist (last week's position in parentheses) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1. Happier - Marshmello & Bastille (2) 2. High Hopes - Panic At The Disco (1) 3. Lose It - Kane Brown (3) 4. Best Shot - Jimmie Allen (6) 5. She Got The Best Of Me - Luk...

Hey guys and gals and those inbetween, I've been running through my year-end countdown of the biggest hits on my weekly music chart, and before I creep in to the top forty, I'm going to take a break to give props to the "also-rans", the 25 songs that almost did the trick, which no flourishes, just to enjoy. You can catch up with the main list by clicking on part one , part two , part three , part four , part five , and part six , as well as the whole series ... #125 - " When We " by Tank             from the album Savage (2017)             Highest rank: #24 (four weeks)            Weeks on the chart (in 2018): 11            Billboard Hot 100 peak: #78            Songwriters: Tank, Cardiak, J. Valentine Neo-soul sin...

" Mr. Big Stuff " was one of the very first records in the vein that would eventually evolve into what we know as "Disco". Released in 1971 as a single from her debut album of the same name , the song went to #2 on Billboard magazine's pop Hot 100 chart, while spending five weeks at #1 on their R&B genre list. It was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Female R&B Vocal the following year, losing out to Aretha Franklin's " Bridge Over Troubled Water ".

Hey folks, we've now passed the halfway mark on my recap of the biggest hits on my weekly music chart for 2018... You can catch up by clicking on Part One , Part Two , Part Three , Part Four , Part Five , or for the whole series . But let's get back to business... #50 - " Whatever You Want " by Pink           from the album Beautiful Trauma (2017)           Highest rank: #5 (two weeks)           Weeks on the chart: 16           Billboard Hot 100 peak: did not chart           Songwriters: Pink, Max Martin, Shellback The second of Pink's three entries on this year's list, the third single from her Beautiful Trauma album was the most unassuming, but the chorus on this nugget is quite beautifully constructed. A look into her relationship with husband C...

" Give Me Your Love " was a "B-side" hit for disco band Soccer, who were put together by producer Tony Valor in the late 1970s. After a bigger hit on the legendary Salsoul label (the #30 single " Come and Get It On "), the group, mostly consisting of members of the Venuto family, moved to indie label Roy B Records, where this song, along with " Dancin' Game ", climbed to #73 on Billboard magazine's Disco/Dance Tracks chart in 1980. (Click below to see the rest of the post)

We're closing in on the halfway mark in my year-end recap of the biggest "hit" songs on my weekly personal chart for 2018 (you can check out part one for what defines a "hit"). If you've missed anything, you can click to check out part one , part two , part three , or part four , or the whole series . And onwards we go... #60 - " Like I Loved You " by Brett Young           from the album Brett Young (2017)           Highest rank: #10 (two weeks)           Weeks on the chart (in 2018): 18           Billboard Hot 100 peak: #46           Songwriters: Brett Young, Jesse Lee Young's first hit single, "Sleep Without You", reached #9 on my chart, but right in the time between "chart years", so missed the year-end recap in both 2016 and 2017. This year, Brett already has "Mercy" down at #94, and now the midtempo hea...

"If You Read My Mind" was the sole hit single for Columbus Circle, the recording moniker for DJ/dance music artist Scott Yahney from New York City. In 1982, the single climbed to #10 on Billboard 's Disco/Dance Tracks chart. The mix below is from Yahney himself, and much superior to the overquick official version. (Click below to see the rest of the post)

It's time for the fourth part of my yearly recap of the biggest hit songs from my weekly personal music chart for 2018. You can catch up with part one , part two , and part three or click for the whole series . And on we go... #70 - " Hangin' On " by Chris Young           from the album Losing Sleep (2017)           Highest rank: #6 (two weeks)           Weeks on the chart (in 2018): 14 (still charting)           Billboard Hot 100 peak: #63           Songwriters: Chris Young, Corey Crowder, Josh Hoge This is what happens when you give Chris Young a Jason Aldean song... But for real, Young wrote this himself (with his producer and another hired hand), but sonically this strays as far from his usual romantic crooning as he's gotten lately. Nothing e...

" Dazz " was the breakthrough single and biggest hit for Atlanta funk-disco outfit Brick. The mixture of "Disco" and "Jazz", which appeared on the band's debut album Good High , even inspired the name of another funk-disco outfit, the Dazz Band ("Let It Whip"). "Dazz", written by members Regi Harris, Eddie Irons, and Ray Ransom, climbed to #7 on Billboard magazine's Disco/Dance Tracks chart in 1977, while reaching #1 on their R&B chart and #3 on the pop Hot 100 list.

" First Winter " is the new single from pop singer/songwriter (Stephen) Wrabel . A holiday song that doesn't quite sound like a holiday song, it's accompanied by a oh-so-sweet music video "date". Back in 2014, he reached the pop Hot 100 in Billboard magazine right at #100 with " Ten Feet Tall " with DJ Afrojack....

I'm back with the third installment of my year-end countdown of the biggest hits on my weekly music countdown for 2018. You can catch up by clicking on part one or part two , but now let's head on... #80 - " Leave It Smokin' " by Tamia           from the album Passion Like Fire (2018)           Highest rank: #19 (two weeks)           Weeks on the chart: 18           Billboard Hot 100 peak: did not chart           Songwriters: Tamia, Salaam Remi, Alicia Renee Yesterday's countdown post featured Toni Braxton, who had been absent from my year-end since 2014; now we have another neo-soul singer with a longer drought. Tamia, who was last on my chart with "Beautiful Surprise" in 2012 (it didn't make the year-end) and last on the final way back in 2003 with "Officially Missing You", returned with this smooth bit of soul that climbed to #2 on Billboar...

" Score " was the title track from the debut album for disco singer and Philly native Carol Lloyd. With production from the guys behind the #1 disco act Ultimate and backup from singers in the USA/European Connection, Lloyd didn't reach the Disco/Dance Tracks chart in Billboard magazine with this one, but she did make it with another from the album, a cover of the Four Tops' " Shake Me Wake Me " went to #89. Nevertheless, "Score" was a much campier and fun addition to the dancefloor.

" Party Of One " is the current single from indie-rock singer/songwriter Brandi Carlile , from her Grammy-nominated album By The Way, I Forgive You . Although the duet version with Sam Smith is hitting Adult Contemporary radio, a new music video from her solo performance has just been released, and man, is it a powerful one. Featuring actresses Elisabeth Moss (from A Handmaid's Tale ) and Nicole Disson playing lovers in a tumultuous episode in their relationship, the clip in the end shows how powerful love, any love can be.

It's time for round two of my year-end countdown of the biggest "hits" of 2018 on my weekly music chart. You can check out the rules and the first 10 from yesterday by clicking here ... #90 - " This Is Me " from Keala Settle and the Greatest Showman Ensemble           from the album The Greatest Showman (Original Soundtrack) (2017)           Highest rank: #18 (two weeks)           Weeks on the chart: 18           Billboard Hot 100 peak: #58           Songwriters: Benj Pasek and Justin Paul Yes, The Greatest Showman was the biggest thing at the start of the year, filling a hole in the artistic doldrums that Frozen filled a few years back. And the presumed "showstopper" of the musical-movie was "This Is Me", sung by Broadway vet and "bearded lad...

" Never Too Much " was soul legend Luther Vandross ' first solo single after fronting the disco band Change in the late 1970s. Appearing on his Never Too Much album, the single topped Billboard magazine's R&B chart for two weeks, and went to #33 on their pop Hot 100 list, but surprisingly only peaked at #4 on their Disco/Dance Tracks chart in 1981. Written and produced by Vandross, he would end up with a Grammy nomination the following year for Male R&B Performance... (Click below to see the rest of the post)

" Crazy, Classic, Life " is the new single from neo-soul singer/songwriter Janelle Monae 's Grammy-nominated album Dirty Computer . The music video, now set apart from the rest of the album-length clip from the set, puts the beginning of the storyline into its own feature. A " Solo " if you will..

Last year I said that 2017 was the "hold my beer" year. This time out it's almost like a roller coaster derailing. Yes, 2018 definitely had its ups (the Democratic Party regaining the House Of Representatives) and downs (how in the hell is this orange testicle still in the White House?). And like last year, I had to keep asking myself, where is the music that would lift us up during these times of woe? Well, you generally wouldn't be finding it with what was big on the Billboard charts this year. Sure, there was some good, and dare I say great stuff that came out this year, but by and large that was done by niche artists that cultivated their audience. And that's what making a weekly list of best hits (let alone a yearly one) so difficult. When I started out to make a weekly chart waaaaay back before there was an internet we could access, I knew it was damn near impossible to keep track of all the music available to sift my own favorites out. So whil...

(Well, since I started and ended the day yesterday with Michael Jackson, why not do the same today with Madonna ?) " Borderline " was the first top ten pop hit for future pop queen Madonna. As the fourth single from her self-titled debut album , it was the first to have a widely-seen music video on MTV ("Holiday" never sported one, and "Everybody" and "Burning Up" never were originally shown on the channel. So for many people like myself, it was this song that truely introduced us to Madge. On Billboard magazine's Disco/Dance Tracks Chart, "Borderline" surprisingly only reached #4 in 1984... (Click below to see the rest of the post)

" Heavy Metal " is the new single from French electro-funk group Justice , who are nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Dance/Electronic Album for the record this comes from, Woman Worldwide . With this stunning video directed by Filip Nilsson, the "heavy metal" involved is brass, as in the brass (and drums) of a marching band. The closest the group has gotten to the pop chart in America is with " D.A.N.C.E. ", which "bubbled under" the Hot 100 back in 2007 at #103. The marching band here is the award-winning Norfolk State Sparton Legion from Norfolk, Virginia.

" Rain " - Madonna from the album Erotica (1992) Billboard Hot 100 peak: #14 (one week) Weeks in the Top-40: 14 (Ed. Note - Hey folks, because of time constraints from work and the holidays, and starting up my yearly "twostepcubchart" countdown tomorrow, this will be the last "song of the day" until after the new year. I appreciate your patience, and still please keep coming to check out who made the list for the biggest "hits" of 2018 in my book. Thanks!) Today's song of the day is from Madonna , whose salaciously titled fifth studio album Erotica had already spun off three hit singles in America with the title track " Erotica ", the disco gem " Deeper and Deeper ", and the somber " Bad Girl " (as well as a #1 dance hit with a cover of "Fever"). The fourth and final single in the U.S. would be the lush ballad "Rain". Written and produced by Madonna with Shep Pettibone, the track w...

" Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough " was the first single released from Michael Jackson's watershed album Off The Wall . The song, written by Michael who produced it with Quincy Jones, marked his complete departure from the shadow of his former family band, the Jackson Five. While the single hit #1 on both the pop and R&B charts in Billboard magazine, on the Disco Top 100, where the Off The Wall album charted as a single item with "Don't Stop" and " Off The Wall " listed in the entry, the LP peaked at #2 for two weeks, but spending over seven months on the list. (Click below to see the rest of the post)